48 States in Under 10 Days
My June 2017 motorcycle ride was an experience unlike any other long distance ride I have completed. I made a goal to travel through all 48 contiguous states in under 10 days following the rules set out by the Ironbutt Association.
I rode a day (900 km) to get close to my start point in Moorhead Minnesota from my home in Moose Jaw Saskatchewan. I rode off early in the morning and stopped for gas in Weyburn, 150 km (90 miles) from home. I inserted my credit card, and it was declined. Really? Not a great start ! A phone call sorted it all out, no problem with the account. Shortly after crossing the US border in Kenmare ND a State highway patrol cruiser pulled in behind me and followed at a safe distance, all the way to Minot! That 50 or so miles (80km) through multiple speed zones felt a lot longer than it really was. I found a campground in Fargo ND to spend the night. After I checked in at the office I rode to my campsite with the tire pressure monitor in alarm mode. I had picked up a screw in my rear Bridgestone Pontenza pole position run flat car tire. I pulled the screw out and plugged the tire with a Blackjack plug and reinflated the tire. Having some tools along, and knowing how to use them has its advantages.
I started the clock the next morning in Moorhead MN after gassing up for a starting receipt and finding a couple of witnesses. The weather was good for most of the day, I didnt get as far as I thought I would, but I have lots of time to make it up. I planned my route out to make it as short as possible while still visiting all 48 states but I did not plan how far I would travel each day. I did not want to endanger myself by commiting to too many miles to get to a certain place, or stopping sooner than I needed if I felt I could do more.
I found that a Subway cold cut sub with extra meat made for a couple of meals on the road , having a cooler on the trailer was sure a good idea! . Travelling doesnt require a lot of calories, and eating too much at once makes me feel groggy so I ate a bit at a time. The Subways I stopped at had no problem cutting and wrapping my sandwich in three parts which made good gas break snacks.
Being on the clock meant that there was no waiting out the 5 days of rain down the east coast while tropical depression Cindy was happening. There was hours on end sitting on the bike stopped in traffic in rain while tow trucks pulled cars from ditches. The rain got in my auxiliary gps and froze the screen... sending me through the Bronx in NYC. Travelling in the rain for days on end was pretty draining. Crappy visibility in heavy slow moving traffic was tiresome. Windshield had a film, visor had a film, glasses had a film... surrounded by other frustrated drivers. Keeping safe in undesirable conditions was the biggest challenge.
I had read about needing ear plugs to keep noise down as the noise can be tiring. Riding a Goldwing and using a modular helmet is not noisey so I left out the earplugs. Well... it turns out that riding in NYC is a whole different kind of noise. The sound volume of the billions of tires singing on concrete , the differentials whining, universal joints whirling, the horns honking, and the rest of the ambient noise is incredible. It is loud. The stereo gets completely drowned out, and it can be pretty loud itself.
I was towing a trailer so got screwed over at all the toll booths as they charged me 3 axle vehicle rates. Yes I had 3 axles but still only 4 tires and weighed less than a car . They really should review motorcycle/trailer rates for tourists. I spent $150 easily on tolls in the east.
Everywhere south of NYC at gas stations people came and told me they liked my bike ... and that their uncle had two Harleys, it got a bit weird , were they all related? I travelled some shortcut highway to Harlan Kentucky with 10 mph posted curves and still managed to drag my footpegs. I drove through millions of fireflies in the dark in Tennessee, something I dont get to see at home. It was almost like being in a scene from Star Wars. Interestingly, they glow for several seconds after they explode on the windshield.
In the South East states I was just plain soaked. There were signs in Florida that the road surface was under water although I got lucky and didnt have to travel through anything very deep. I got the impression in Century Florida that they dont like people on motorcycles. Immediately after crossing the border a policeman turned in behind me and followed me to a gas station, he drove a bit further and did a u-turn where he stopped to watch me. Another cop pulled along side him and talked for a bit before driving to the empty gas station across the street to sit and watch. I got my dated business receipt, so set back out in the rain north while one of the cruisers followed me back out of state. I have never been to Florida without being soaked, but the water is warm. Travelling west there were tornado watches and some new wind damage. I started to get ahead of the rain in Texarkana, so I gassed up there and kept moving. The thought occured to me at the time that I would need a few years to get dry again. Crossing Texas was dry and warm. In the dark near Vernon there are wind powered generators for miles around. I got there in the dark and all the towers have a blinking red lamp on top. They all blink in unison creating a creepy feeling. I got chilled climbing up a mountain in Colorado where most all the cars had skis on roof racks. I was way behind in my planned times now due to weather and traffic slowdowns.
I got cooked in Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah...in 120F (49C) temps on the highway, doing 1000+ miles in that day trying to make up time. The night before I got to the desert I put all the water bottles I could in my hotel room freezer and the rest in the refrigerator . While I was in the desert, planes were grounded due to the heat, letters were melting off signs, garbage cans and plastic fences melted, and gas stations had oven mitts or towels on the door handles to prevent burns. When I got into the desert heat I found that I needed my jacket on to keep the sun off my body, and the liner in my coat to prevent the outer layer from burning my skin. I soaked my t-shirt with cool water and opened my windshield vent to blow on my shirt and put three of my frozen bottles right inside my jacket. The cooling effect was very good and I kept quite comfortable. I was wrong about needing years to dry out...the desert can dry you out in short order. In Utah there were wild fires in the ditches along the road (I 15) with fire trucks and crews on the shoulder fighting the flames. Visibility was reduced as well as the travel speed.
https://www.google.ca/amp/metro.co....erythings-literally-melting-away-6735938/amp/
I made a bunch of time in the west on interstates with higher speed limits and made the trip in under 10 days. It was Awesome!
https://spotwalla.com/tripViewer.php?id=14c29593c45c58f0cc
Bubbler was offline one day (data manager app) in the south east but I have my receipts !
When I pulled into the final necessary gas station for my dated business receipt in St.Regis Montana it was pretty much dark , but what a feeling of accomplishment! I chose a hotel across the street from the gas station as it was getting late and I just didn't feel like setting up camp. The next morning, the radio show I was listening to as I left the hotel talked about all the bears in the area and how you must have pepper spray if you camp.
My health stayed great through all the conditions I experienced, and I lost 8 pounds that I really didn't need. I ate when I was hungry and slept when I was tired. I made very sure I stayed hydrated, only drinking water ( sometimes with flavour drops) and sports drinks. I kept completely away from coffee, pop, and alcohol on my trip, anything that gives you a lift can also give you a drop. Skipping the stimulants all day long made it easy to drop into a deep sleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.
My ride home was another 715 miles (1150 km), but after the ride I had completed, it didnt sound like much. The border crossing into Canada was uneventful and the officer asked me to use extra care as the highway heading north to Shaunavon was a mess. I made it home just as it was getting dark, and was very happy to be home with my family.
If I was to do this ride again, I would leave the trailer at home and take a lot less. The tolls were significantly higher with trailer, and express or HOV lanes are out of the question. California prohibits towing anything over 55 mph. The trailer is extra wiring and tires to maintain so there is the potential for extra problems. My Alluma trailer performed flawlessly, but just by the nature of towing, my gas mileage took a hit. On a bigger ride with time constraints there is not time to use all the stuff you may want to bring. You are riding, gassing up, eating, or sleeping. The only thing that the trailer gave me that was important was the cooler. Lots of water is very important!
I dont feel the urge to do a 48 state ride in under 10 days again any time soon. It was incredible, and it was an accomplishment, but not something I would make a habit of doing. These memories are some of the ones I have singled out but the negative parts are by far outweighed by all the positive new sights, all the new places, and new experiences. What a ride! I may break the ride down into the numbers when I get bored...figure out mpg, distance per day, costs etc. But I did get great Smiles per gallon.
Rick
My June 2017 motorcycle ride was an experience unlike any other long distance ride I have completed. I made a goal to travel through all 48 contiguous states in under 10 days following the rules set out by the Ironbutt Association.
I rode a day (900 km) to get close to my start point in Moorhead Minnesota from my home in Moose Jaw Saskatchewan. I rode off early in the morning and stopped for gas in Weyburn, 150 km (90 miles) from home. I inserted my credit card, and it was declined. Really? Not a great start ! A phone call sorted it all out, no problem with the account. Shortly after crossing the US border in Kenmare ND a State highway patrol cruiser pulled in behind me and followed at a safe distance, all the way to Minot! That 50 or so miles (80km) through multiple speed zones felt a lot longer than it really was. I found a campground in Fargo ND to spend the night. After I checked in at the office I rode to my campsite with the tire pressure monitor in alarm mode. I had picked up a screw in my rear Bridgestone Pontenza pole position run flat car tire. I pulled the screw out and plugged the tire with a Blackjack plug and reinflated the tire. Having some tools along, and knowing how to use them has its advantages.
I started the clock the next morning in Moorhead MN after gassing up for a starting receipt and finding a couple of witnesses. The weather was good for most of the day, I didnt get as far as I thought I would, but I have lots of time to make it up. I planned my route out to make it as short as possible while still visiting all 48 states but I did not plan how far I would travel each day. I did not want to endanger myself by commiting to too many miles to get to a certain place, or stopping sooner than I needed if I felt I could do more.
I found that a Subway cold cut sub with extra meat made for a couple of meals on the road , having a cooler on the trailer was sure a good idea! . Travelling doesnt require a lot of calories, and eating too much at once makes me feel groggy so I ate a bit at a time. The Subways I stopped at had no problem cutting and wrapping my sandwich in three parts which made good gas break snacks.
Being on the clock meant that there was no waiting out the 5 days of rain down the east coast while tropical depression Cindy was happening. There was hours on end sitting on the bike stopped in traffic in rain while tow trucks pulled cars from ditches. The rain got in my auxiliary gps and froze the screen... sending me through the Bronx in NYC. Travelling in the rain for days on end was pretty draining. Crappy visibility in heavy slow moving traffic was tiresome. Windshield had a film, visor had a film, glasses had a film... surrounded by other frustrated drivers. Keeping safe in undesirable conditions was the biggest challenge.
I had read about needing ear plugs to keep noise down as the noise can be tiring. Riding a Goldwing and using a modular helmet is not noisey so I left out the earplugs. Well... it turns out that riding in NYC is a whole different kind of noise. The sound volume of the billions of tires singing on concrete , the differentials whining, universal joints whirling, the horns honking, and the rest of the ambient noise is incredible. It is loud. The stereo gets completely drowned out, and it can be pretty loud itself.
I was towing a trailer so got screwed over at all the toll booths as they charged me 3 axle vehicle rates. Yes I had 3 axles but still only 4 tires and weighed less than a car . They really should review motorcycle/trailer rates for tourists. I spent $150 easily on tolls in the east.
Everywhere south of NYC at gas stations people came and told me they liked my bike ... and that their uncle had two Harleys, it got a bit weird , were they all related? I travelled some shortcut highway to Harlan Kentucky with 10 mph posted curves and still managed to drag my footpegs. I drove through millions of fireflies in the dark in Tennessee, something I dont get to see at home. It was almost like being in a scene from Star Wars. Interestingly, they glow for several seconds after they explode on the windshield.
In the South East states I was just plain soaked. There were signs in Florida that the road surface was under water although I got lucky and didnt have to travel through anything very deep. I got the impression in Century Florida that they dont like people on motorcycles. Immediately after crossing the border a policeman turned in behind me and followed me to a gas station, he drove a bit further and did a u-turn where he stopped to watch me. Another cop pulled along side him and talked for a bit before driving to the empty gas station across the street to sit and watch. I got my dated business receipt, so set back out in the rain north while one of the cruisers followed me back out of state. I have never been to Florida without being soaked, but the water is warm. Travelling west there were tornado watches and some new wind damage. I started to get ahead of the rain in Texarkana, so I gassed up there and kept moving. The thought occured to me at the time that I would need a few years to get dry again. Crossing Texas was dry and warm. In the dark near Vernon there are wind powered generators for miles around. I got there in the dark and all the towers have a blinking red lamp on top. They all blink in unison creating a creepy feeling. I got chilled climbing up a mountain in Colorado where most all the cars had skis on roof racks. I was way behind in my planned times now due to weather and traffic slowdowns.
I got cooked in Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah...in 120F (49C) temps on the highway, doing 1000+ miles in that day trying to make up time. The night before I got to the desert I put all the water bottles I could in my hotel room freezer and the rest in the refrigerator . While I was in the desert, planes were grounded due to the heat, letters were melting off signs, garbage cans and plastic fences melted, and gas stations had oven mitts or towels on the door handles to prevent burns. When I got into the desert heat I found that I needed my jacket on to keep the sun off my body, and the liner in my coat to prevent the outer layer from burning my skin. I soaked my t-shirt with cool water and opened my windshield vent to blow on my shirt and put three of my frozen bottles right inside my jacket. The cooling effect was very good and I kept quite comfortable. I was wrong about needing years to dry out...the desert can dry you out in short order. In Utah there were wild fires in the ditches along the road (I 15) with fire trucks and crews on the shoulder fighting the flames. Visibility was reduced as well as the travel speed.
https://www.google.ca/amp/metro.co....erythings-literally-melting-away-6735938/amp/
I made a bunch of time in the west on interstates with higher speed limits and made the trip in under 10 days. It was Awesome!
https://spotwalla.com/tripViewer.php?id=14c29593c45c58f0cc
Bubbler was offline one day (data manager app) in the south east but I have my receipts !
When I pulled into the final necessary gas station for my dated business receipt in St.Regis Montana it was pretty much dark , but what a feeling of accomplishment! I chose a hotel across the street from the gas station as it was getting late and I just didn't feel like setting up camp. The next morning, the radio show I was listening to as I left the hotel talked about all the bears in the area and how you must have pepper spray if you camp.
My health stayed great through all the conditions I experienced, and I lost 8 pounds that I really didn't need. I ate when I was hungry and slept when I was tired. I made very sure I stayed hydrated, only drinking water ( sometimes with flavour drops) and sports drinks. I kept completely away from coffee, pop, and alcohol on my trip, anything that gives you a lift can also give you a drop. Skipping the stimulants all day long made it easy to drop into a deep sleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.
My ride home was another 715 miles (1150 km), but after the ride I had completed, it didnt sound like much. The border crossing into Canada was uneventful and the officer asked me to use extra care as the highway heading north to Shaunavon was a mess. I made it home just as it was getting dark, and was very happy to be home with my family.
If I was to do this ride again, I would leave the trailer at home and take a lot less. The tolls were significantly higher with trailer, and express or HOV lanes are out of the question. California prohibits towing anything over 55 mph. The trailer is extra wiring and tires to maintain so there is the potential for extra problems. My Alluma trailer performed flawlessly, but just by the nature of towing, my gas mileage took a hit. On a bigger ride with time constraints there is not time to use all the stuff you may want to bring. You are riding, gassing up, eating, or sleeping. The only thing that the trailer gave me that was important was the cooler. Lots of water is very important!
I dont feel the urge to do a 48 state ride in under 10 days again any time soon. It was incredible, and it was an accomplishment, but not something I would make a habit of doing. These memories are some of the ones I have singled out but the negative parts are by far outweighed by all the positive new sights, all the new places, and new experiences. What a ride! I may break the ride down into the numbers when I get bored...figure out mpg, distance per day, costs etc. But I did get great Smiles per gallon.
Rick
. I’m looking to do this is in a month or so. The rain in the southeast has been relentless; tough to ride in long distances. Glad you were able to power through.
